2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for ...



2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care

Part 10.4: Hypothermia

Introduction

Unintentional hypothermia is a serious and preventable health problem. Severe hypothermia (body temperature 34°C [>93.2°F]): passive rewarming

–Moderate (30°C to 34°C [86°F to 93.2°F]): active external rewarming

–Severe (34°C (>93.2°F) may be passively rewarmed with warmed blankets and a warm environment. This form of rewarming will not be adequate for a patient with cardiopulmonary arrest or severe hypothermia.6

–For patients with moderate hypothermia (30°C to 34°C [86°F to 93.2°F]) and a perfusing rhythm and no preceding cardiac arrest, active external warming (with heating blankets, forced air, and warmed infusion) should be considered (Class IIb). Active external rewarming uses heating methods or devices (radiant heat, forced hot air, warmed IV fluids, warm water packs) but no invasive devices. Use of these methods requires careful monitoring for hemodynamic changes and tissue injury from external heating devices. Some researchers believe that active external rewarming contributes to "afterdrop" (continued drop in core temperature when cold blood from the periphery is mobilized). But recent studies have indicated that forced air rewarming (one study used warmed IV fluids and forced air rewarming) is effective in some patients, even those with severe hypothermia.7,8

–For patients with a core body temperature ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download